Method of making an embossed fabric



Aug 16, 1932. w, E 1,871,855

METHOD OF MAKING AN EMBOSSED FABRIC Filed May 31, 1929 Fig.1.

inv'emor.

Patented Aug. 16, 1932 urrn stares taunts WILLIAM H. LEES, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS ranrnonor MAKING an nivinossnn Fann e Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to a method of producing an embossed fabric and particularly an embossed tinsel fabric. 7

The objectof the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of producing an embossed fabric, and particularly an embossed tinsel fabric, by which an embossed fabric free from objectionable curling may be produced in a simple, efficient and practical manner.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred apparatus for practicing the present method, Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts 1n section of such apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a detail to be referred to.

Tinsel fabric in various widths is at present used for general decorative purposes, and in order to increase the attractiveness of the tinsel fabric attempts have been made to em boss the same. Tinsel fabrics are chiefly produced by weaving metal tinsel, usually with gold or silver tinsel as warp, and with cotton as the weft, and when such a fabric, and particularly a fabric of any appreciable width, is passed through a pair of embossing rolls the effect of the embossing operation has been to cause the fabric to curl badly in a direction transversely of the tinsel warp, in fact to such an extent as to detract from its utility. Prior to the present invention no satisfactory method of which I am aware has been devised for overcoming this inherent difficulty.

I have discovered that the objectionable curling produced when a tinsel fabric is embossed may be eliminated by drawing the fabric after it has been embossed over an abutment, preferably a straight-edge, and under sufficient tension so that the efiect of the abutment is to smooth out the curl and to cause the fabric to lie in a normal flat condition. 7

Referring now to the drawing, 10 repre sents a tinsel fabric which may be Woven or otherwise formed in the usual manner, and in web form the fabric is drawn by a pair of draw rolls l2, l4 driven from any convenient source of power, through embossing rolls 16, 18, by which the fabric is embossed. In order to remove the curl imparted to the 1929. Serial No. 357,59.

fabric by the embossing operation, the fabric is drawnover an abutment member 20 111.21, manner such that one and preferably both edges of the abutment exert a straightening effect upon the tinsel strands comprising the Warp of the fabric, thereby removing the curl from the fabric and causing it to'lie sub stantially fiat and smooth As herein shown theabutment 20 comprises a bar adjustably mounted in a supporting standard 22, and the vertical position of the abutment may be adjusted to secure the proper straightening effect upon the fabric. The top of the bar 20 is slightly rounded, and the position of the bar is such that as the fabric is drawn by the draw rolls. from the embossing rolls it is caused to change its direction of travel when passing over the first'straight edge of the bar, and then again to change its general direction of travel as it passes over the second side edge of the bar, and the effect produced, is analagous to the effectproduced by drawing the fabric under tension over a knife edge. In practice the height of the bar may be adjusted according to the character of the fabric and also according to the character of the embossing imparted to the fabric by the embossing rolls. 1 have found that operating upon gold tinsel it is desirable to adjustv the upper edge of the bar so that it lies approximately six inches above a hori- Zontal plane passing between the embossing rolls, and in a case of silver tinsel fabric, approximately four inches above such position. In general, the more the tendency of the fabric to curl the higher will be the position of the bar that is required to remove the curl. In practice the draw rolls may be felt covered and driven at a speed such that a tension of from five to ten pounds is placed upon the fabric as it is drawn over the edges of the abutment.

While the preferred apparatus for practicing the present method has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The method of producing an embossed tinsel fabric having tinsel strands as warp, which consists in passing the tinsel fabric between embossing rolls to emboss the fabric and which incidentally imparts a transverse curl thereto, and then drawing the embossed fabric over the edge of an abutment member extended transversely of the fabric to remove the tendency of the fabric to curl trans= versely. V p u a 2. The method of producing an embossed tinsel fabric having tinsel strands as warp, which consists in passing the fabric between embossing rolls to emboss the fabric and which incidentally imparts a transverse curl thereto, and then drawing the fabric under tension over the two side edges of a relatively wide abutment bar extended transversely of the fabric in a manner suchthat the'dire'ction of travel of the fabric is changed as it passes over each edge to thereby remove from the fabric the tendency to curl transversely.

3. The method of producing an embossed tinsel fabric having tinsel strands as Warp,

' which consists in passing the fabric between embossing rolls to emboss the fabric and which incidentally imparts a transverse curl Y thereto, and then drawing the fabric under tension over an abutment extended transversely of the fabric spaced a distance from a horizontal plane passing between the embossing rolls sufhcient to cause removal of the tendency of the fabric to curl transverse- 1y by its passage over such abutment.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' WILLIAM H. LEES.- 

